The Thing About Love Is
by FameFortuneAndMagic
Summary: AU. Nina Martin is a journalist at the up-and-coming designing studio of Amber Millington, one of her best friends. She considered her life to be perfect; a job that she loved, great co-workers, and a small sense of fashion. But when fate hands her a lovely plot twist involving a man named Fabian Rutter, she learns a thing or two about love, the missing piece in her life.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi HOA fanatics! I'm Fame, better known as FABINALIVES to the general public. This is not my first story ever written, but it is the first one on the profile. If you like my writing, please check out my personal account mentioned before. This story might not have regular updates for the time being, but once summer kicks in, I'll have a lot more time for writing. Alright, to the disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis. I know, I know. Shocker, right? But seriously, if you like this story and want me to continue, don't hesitate to leave a sweet little review in the box at the end of this chapter. Thanks!**

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_Fate is only the beginning to a wonderful life, despite how it may seem at first._

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_**Chapter 1**_

I didn't mean to fall in love. Of course, I had been looking for someone I could spend the rest of my life with. And maybe that meant falling in love. But I wasn't really sure how it worked. I certainly didn't want the sweaty palms, the overactive emotions, the tears that came with falling in love. It should've been easy.

But nothing great in life comes easy.

Certainly not when it comes to love. How was I supposed to know what to say to a guy when he came up and asked me for my number? No? Yes? Should I completely ignore him or wink? Nevertheless, love found me. With it came hearts and flowers and chocolates and little pink ribbons on top. You have to be careful, however. Ribbons unfurl, chocolates expire, flowers wilt. Hearts break.

It all started when Amber hired me to work at her designing studio.

One of the days that would forever be burned into my memory, you know?

* * *

"Nina! Nina! Nina Martin!" I heard my name being called from down the hall by none other than my best friend, Amber Millington. She had just gotten me a job at her business, which was steadily on the rise. Her outfits were beginning to dominate fashion magazines and her image was expanding rapidly. I, on the other hand, had just been laid off by a magazine company I had been with for two years. Amber had gladly offered me a position as a journalist for her new magazine, _Millington Fashion_.

"What is it, Amber?" I sighed, lifting my gaze from my screen. Amber's new line of dresses, _Glamourz_, was going to be featured on the next issue of _Millington Fashion_ and I was trying desperately to finish the main article I had been assigned. I wanted to prove to my boss and my best friend that I was worthy enough to be promoted to Chief Editor, since the woman holding the position now was leaving.

"_Glamourz _just reached a profit of one million dollars! I never thought that…just wow, Nina, I'm so excited!" Amber squealed, her perfect curls bouncing frantically as she entered my work cubicle.

"Oh my gosh! This is just the start, Amber! You're going to be known worldwide soon!" I celebrated along with her, smiling and hugging her tightly.

"I even have an interview with the press in four days and I'm getting to model some of my new releases next week and I am just so happy!" she gushed, not losing any of her energy.

"Really, I am so proud of you. Remember in high school when you got a letter from the geometry teacher saying that you weren't going anywhere in life? Well, he's probably buying his granddaughter one of your dresses for her sixteenth birthday," I reminisced with her, causing her to laugh.

"Also, I have some other great news. Mick's best friend applied for a job here!" Amber continued with a big smile splashed across her face once we had quietened down a little.

"What's so great about that?"

"His friend is a boy. And you know how I feel about you and boys."

"For the last time Amber, I don't need a boyfriend right now! I'm really starting to get somewhere with this job and having a boy around to distract me isn't going to help anything," I explained for the umpteenth time.

Any time an employee of the male gender was hired, Amber would try to put a good word in for him to me. She believed that it was time I 'got out and lived.' Truthfully, I was interested in having someone to spend time with, but my main focus right now was to get promoted. And that was going to take all of my attention.

"But he's super cute! Well, I mean, I wouldn't date him because of Mick, but you know, if I wasn't in a relationship, I would probably be interested," Amber pressed the subject.

"I know you think it's all about looks, Amber, but-"

"Nina, I've known him for almost three years. He is probably one of the sweetest men I've ever met. One time, Mick got stuck in this huge-"

"Alright, alright, I don't need you to go off into one of your big, long stories. I'm sure he's a very nice person, but you know how I feel about guys right now," I pleaded, hoping to escape the conversation soon.

"But last week, you told me about… _one of your co-workers in this department_," she bent down to whisper in my ear, since her goodness knows-inch heels made her quite a lot taller than me. My cheeks turned a slight red color.

"A little! But you-know-who's still dating Melissa, and she's one of those clingy people who would rather die than see her boyfriend even speaking to another woman. So lay off!" I hissed in a low voice, trying not to attract attention.

She had been hinting at Austin Kent, the heartthrob of the journalist department. I had been crushing on him for a little over two months, but had hesitated to tell Amber for reasons that didn't really need to be explained. Unfortunately for most of my co-workers, he was in a relationship with Amber's assistant secretary, Melissa Carmichael. Both of their parents had tons of money, which would explain the seemingly unlikely pairing of the two. Don't get me wrong: Melissa was sweet to everyone, and I even had her number in my phone. But as soon as someone showed any visible signs of flirtation with her precious Austin, it was every man for himself. Well, in this case, every woman for herself.

"Well, at least be open-minded to the thought of someone new. Since everyone here knows that Austin's taken, they'll be on Fabian like gravy on rice," she warned, her voice returning back to its normal, but still slightly loud, volume.

"His name's Fabian?" I inquired, thinking that the name sounded familiar.

"Yep. Here's his profile," Amber answered, throwing a pink folder onto my desk.

"Alright, let's see his credentials. He's written for _365 Days of Summer_ and _Closet Drama_, as well as non-fashion related magazines such as _The Egyptologist's Guide_, _The Modern Sarcophagus_, and _Wonders of the World_. For a guy who wants to get into the fashion business, he sure sounds like a nerd," I mumbled the last sentence, earning a slap from Amber, who had sat down next to me on a spare chair.

"Nina! I'm going to tell him you said that!" she scolded. "Keep reading!"

"Sorry, sorry. Don't tell him I said that, though. Alright, he's been around the world, has connections in Paris and Rome, and wrote a book called _Marry Me?: Tips to a Successful Marriage_. He's got a bachelors in counseling and in journalism. And he…woah."

I had expected the next page to be another list full of achievements, but instead, it was a headshot for his file.

"Amber, are you sure he isn't applying for a modeling job?" I asked her casually, trying not to reveal anything that would indicate my heart practically thudding out of my chest.

"I knew it! I knew you would think he's gorgeous! And he specifically applied for a _writing _position in the magazine. So just look at him for a second. I can make a copy of the picture for you if you want," she giggled.

"No!" I snapped, sliding the folder away from her to look closer.

Even though the picture was in black and white, his eyes were enchanting. He had a small crinkle around the edge because of his big, beautiful smile. The smile revealed a pair of pearly white teeth. His hair, most likely brown, was swept across his forehead perfectly. A brief thought that wasn't completely appropriate crossed my mind, involving my fingers running through that hair. My vision turned back to his eyes. For the life of me, I couldn't tell what color his eyes were. Secretly, I hoped I would have the chance to find out.

"Can you stop drooling now and get back to work?" Amber's voice jolted me out of my thoughts. They were still centered around Fabian's eyes, which I concluded that I would simply have to speak to him to discover it myself.

"I am _not _drooling over his picture! Here," I tried to hand the profile back, the glitter on the folder rubbing off on my fingers, but she waved it away.

"No. You're keeping it," she said in response, earning a slightly confused face from me.

"Why? Oh my gosh Amber, I don't want his picture!" I half-shouted in exasperation.

"No, no, although that will be a perk of keeping it. You're keeping it because you're going to be his boss. Well, co-boss, since I'm officially his boss too, but you get what I mean."

All my anger that had been directed towards my best friend suddenly faded away. "Does...does this mean what I think it means?"

Amber cleared her voice and stood up, taking on a straight face. Since I was still seated, my boss was a little intimidating. For a moment, I wasn't sure if what she had meant was actually what I thought.

"Nina Martin, you are hereby promoted to the seat of Chief Editor," she stated in her most serious voice, which I almost never heard. She once told me that her 'serious voice' was reserved only for meetings and negotiations. Other than that, she was her usual bubbly self.

My face broke out into a grin as I jumped up and wrapped her in a huge hug.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you Amber! You are the best boss in the world! I won't let you down!" I shrieked happily, earning a few icy stares from the workers around me whom I had interrupted with my shouts.

"You worked hard for this position and now is the perfect time to reward you for it. Besides, this way you can keep Fabian's picture without it being creepy," she happily added, to which I giggled.

"Imagine what he would say if he had to come in here to ask me something and the first thing he saw was his headshot pinned to my wall," I laughed along with Amber.

"Well, I'll send Tracy over here to help you move your stuff. Pauline officially moved out last night, so the office is all clear," Amber offered.

"No, it's fine. I barely have anything to move over there anyway," I declined, stealing a glance at a few simple things I had decorated my small cubicle with. A pencil holder, a metal basket for holding papers, a vase that never held any flowers, and a photograph of my Gran and I standing on the beach.

"Okay, if you say so. But we absolutely _have _to go shopping for some office supplies. I want you to get cozy in that place, since I'm hoping you'll stay there for a while," she winked. "Now that you've gotten your promotion, will you at least look at possible boyfriends? Please?"

"Amber, if I do, will you promise not to try and hook me up with everyone I say looks cute?" I questioned.

"On my honor!" she said, raising her right hand faithfully. I lifted an eyebrow.

"Well, I can't make any promises, but I'll try my best," she admitted, smiling.

"I guess that works for me," I mumbled, knowing the kind of self-control Amber needed to even keep her mouth shut.

"Fabian comes to work the day after tomorrow, so...hey, give me your phone!" she commanded, ignoring my protests and snatching my purse from the floor anyway.

"Amber, what are you doing?" I worried frantically, watching as she unlocked the phone and started tapping the screen. "I swear, if you put Fabian's phone number in there I'll-"

"All done!" she piped up, handing the phone back to me. I doubled tapped the home button, but Amber had cleared the history.

"Please tell me what you did!" I begged as Amber continuously shook her head.

"Nope. You'll just have to find out. Now I've got to go. The models for the magazine are here and its scheduled publishing date is in five days," Amber informed me, walking slowly backwards.

"Speaking of, I still need to move all of my things into my new office and finish the article on _Glamourz_ so shoo! I don't need you in here distracting me! I'll be up to your office in a minute to sign the papers," I dismissed her, pushing her out of my station.

"I'm going, I'm going. But don't forget when he's coming!" she warned, pointing a perfectly manicured fingernail at me, her heels clicking as she walked back into the hall.

I plopped down onto my swiveling work chair, finally glad to have a little time to myself. I loved Amber like a sister, but she could really wear a girl out.

An office. I would have a real office. An actual room with walls and a window looking down into Los Angelos, the skyscrapers glistening in the sunlight. I would have a huge desk with drawers and more space than the tiny little work area I was moving out of today.

After a moment of soaking all that information in, I took a deep breath. Striding confidently out of my alcove, I walked past my fellow workers and into the hallway. I was ready to enter Amber's office and sign the documents officially naming me the Chief Editor.

I had worked too hard to go back now.


	2. Chapter 2

**I know this chapter was a little show in coming, but don't worry, I haven't given up on it! I was in England for the past two weeks, so there wasn't really anything I could do about the updates. Also, a quick note: Fabian's not really the shy stuttering boy we meet at Anubis House. He's a little more...grown up in this story. Don't want to spoil his character, so read on! Disclaimer: House of Anubis does not belong to me. I feel like I'm going to say this a lot...**

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_The faces we see too often are masks._

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_**Chapter 2**_

My alarm usually woke me up, but the day my life changed forever, it started much more abruptly than that. Ironic, right? But it's true, and I would forever hate the day I let Amber steal my phone, even for a second.

The shrill beep of an alert on my phone jolted me out of my dreams, which were filled with handsome gentlemen and beautiful ladies to accompany them. I was clothed in a beautiful ball gown, a midnight blue with layers upon layers of soft ruffles. My hair had been twisted into a knot at the nape of my neck, where a large pearl necklace hung down to my collarbone. Even though all the people around me were smiling and partnered off with someone wonderful, I was stuck on the side of the dance floor, where no one was inviting me to dance. Hours passed, and I still had only myself for company. Suddenly, a tall, gorgeous man in a pressed tuxedo offered his hand to me. Just as I was about to take it, my phone began dutifully waking me up. A moment later, and I would have been able to enjoy a dance with a stranger.

"Why?" I groaned, rolling over onto my back and extending my arm outward to grasp my phone. When I looked on the screen, I saw what the alert was for.

"Rise and shine, Ninsy-poo. Fabian's coming today, so remember to look good! Not that you don't look good every day, just…HE'S COMING TODAY!" it read, with Amber's name tagged onto the end.

"Oh Amber," I grumbled, grinning slightly before placing the phone back on my nightstand. Swinging my legs over the edge of the bed, my feet touched the cold, hard wood of my apartment floor. I ran my fingers through my hair, moving all the wisps of dark blonde hair from my face. I resigned myself to a day filled with Amber and her boy-mania, so what was the use in not getting a little dressed up?

I tiptoed my way over to my miniscule closet, trying to make as little contact with the freezing floor as possible. My door creaked as I opened it, revealing a small selection of work clothes. All my other clothes, which I did have quite a lot thanks to Amber, were stored in the wardrobe across from my bed. Well, technically it wasn't across from my bed, it was touching it. I loved my apartment, but it was becoming a little small for all the things I needed.

A yellow dress? No, it was more suited for a party than work. A white blouse with a black pencil skirt? Too typical, although I liked the pencil skirt. I took it out of the closet and threw it onto my bed. A black shirt wouldn't go well with the skirt, and my green shirt had no shoes to match. Finally, I decided on a red shirt with a neckline that dipped low enough to allow me to wear a black and white necklace I had bought last weekend with Amber. Actually, everything in my closet I had bought with Amber, since the last thing I purchased without her was trashed. She told me it was "too loose around the waist" and that I needed clothes that "made my figure pop." So my closet was revamped and I wasn't too upset with the results either.

Working for a fashion magazine was really starting to rub off on me.

I snatched a pair of white heels and slipped them onto my feet, before clipping the necklace on and slipping shiny black earring onto my earlobes. To top off my outfit, I applied a bit of red lipstick, puckering my lips to make sure the color was spread everywhere.

"No worries, it's not like he'll actually come up and talk to you."

* * *

"Hi! My name's Fabian Rutter. You're my boss, right?"

I did a mental slap; of course he would talk to me. I'm his boss!

"Yes, that's me. Nina Martin," I introduced myself, standing up and extending my hand to his. Fabian shook it briefly, before letting go and smiling. By then, I was sure I was on the verge of a fatal heart attack.

"Well, Nina Martin, is it alright if I call you Nina?" he asked boldly.

"I think we'll stick with Miss Martin for right now," I answered, sending him a grin of my own, then gesturing for him to sit down as I did the same.

"So, Mr. Rutter, I-"

"Please call me Fabian."

"Alright then. Fabian, I see you have quite a list of accomplishments. Miss Millington and I were both very impressed with the kind of work you've been doing so far-"

"Amber and I have known each other for about three years. I guess you could say we're on a first name basis now," he interrupted again, which was becoming a little annoying.

"Well, this is your job and for right now, I think you should call her-"

"Fabian! I'm so glad you met Nina already! I was just about to come find you and introduce you guys to each other," Amber cut me off (this interrupting thing has got to stop), bouncing into my new office, which was still full of boxes. Amber had taken the liberty of buying me office decorations and had delivered them to me this morning. She had also commented on my outfit, saying that it was perfect and would certainly catch Fabian's eye.

"Amber! I mean-" he shot a smirk my way, "Miss Millington, I was just about to get my first assignment. So, can we continue this conversation outside?"

"Miss Millington? Really? Are you trying to be funny?" Amber wheezed, barely able to speak through her laughs. I felt my face heating up.

"Well, Miss Martin insisted that I refer to you as Miss Millington," he explained, still giving off that confident grin.

"Nina! This is supposed to be a friendly environment! Everyone goes by their first names here. Jesus, I can't even imagine Fabian calling me 'Miss Millington!' He's almost always over at Mick's when I visit," she told me, making me feel only more embarrassed.

"At least we got that cleared up," I mumbled, slumping farther into my seat. I was surprised my face hadn't burst into flames yet.

"Yes, I'm glad, _Nina_," he stressed my name, maintaining that smile, which was the only thing that was keeping me from leaning over the desk and strangling this gorgeous man.

"Hey, I never said that rule applied to me. I barely know you!" I protested, my anger still boiling. How could I have let myself believe a guy with a nice face would have a nice heart too?

"Fine, we'll just go with Miss Martin then," he replied, sounding slightly defeated for once.

"Thank you. Now can we get back to work? Amber, as much as I love you, you have an interview with the press in two days that you have to prepare for. We're still on for lunch, right?"

"Y-yeah. Fabian, do you wanna come?" Amber invited him, causing me to roll my eyes. I didn't want to spend any more time with this guy than I had to.

"I think I'd rather eat by myself than have my boss breathing down my neck," he answered, lifting my spirits a little.

"Hey, I'm not gonna-" Amber started, but he cut her off, glaring pointedly at me. I straightened my back, showing that I wouldn't back down from his accusations.

"I wasn't talking about you, Amber," Fabian told her, still not taking his eyes from me. He then stood up and nodded in my direction politely. All cockiness left his attitude and he was completely calm. "Just send my assignment to my email, Miss Martin. Thank you."

Once he was gone, I let out a huge sigh, flopping back into my swiveling chair, which caused me to turn away from Amber and look instead at the wall.

"What was _that_?" she demanded when she was sure he couldn't hear her through the walls. "You completely blew your chances at impressing him!"

"Why would I want to impress a rude, arrogant, cocky, smart-alecky employee of mine? Ugh, I don't even want to talk to him anymore!" I groaned, leaning my head back on the top of the chair.

"Nina! He was just trying to be friendly. But all you can think about is being serious! If you can't handle working with other people, I'll find someone else who can!" she shouted. Almost immediately, she clapped a hand over her mouth and shook her head vigorously. "Wait, I didn't mean that!"

I spun my chair back to face her. "Yes, you did. And you're right."

"No, Nina, listen-"

"Amber, you listen. I was being stupid. All I was worried about was this job and now that I have it, I'm having a hard time pulling myself together. Now you're throwing this extremely good-looking man my way and that's just too much to handle right now. But I promise I'll try to get along with everyone. Including Fabian," I explained. After I finished, I rested my elbows on my newly-polished desk and put my head in my hands. "I guess I was a little nervous. Now, what's the use in trying to fix that mess?"

I knew that he was probably hating his job already and all of that was because of me. I also knew that for a while, I would still barely be able to stand him. But for the sake of the company, the magazine, and my new job, I needed to at least not hate him. Right now was not a good example, but maybe-

"We could invite him for lunch again. But I can do it alone, tell him you've calmed down. You have calmed down, haven't you?" she gave me a questioning look, squinting her brilliant blue eyes at me.

"Yes, I have, Amber. But he won't want to go. Maybe another day. Or next week. Oh yeah, how about next year?"

"Seriously, Nina, he's a nice guy. I'm sure that if I talk to him for a minute, he'll understand and agree."

"What would you possibly tell him? He seemed pretty angry when he actually called me 'Miss Martin.'"

"The truth. No use lying."

"No way! He'd just think I'm this desperate business person who only cares about her job and isn't good enough to be promoted unless someone actually moves out of the office! Definitely not the truth," I gasped, jumping up from my chair to grab Amber's shoulders. "You can't tell him anything about that."

"You don't want to start off your relationship with lies, do you?" she joked, smiling lightly.

"We don't even have a relationship! That's why I want to try and remedy this before it gets nasty. The last thing I want is my personal problems interfering with my work."

Amber sighed, moving backwards to let my arms fall from her shoulders to my sides again. "Look, I won't spill your deepest secrets. I'll just tell him how you just got the job and you're not quite used to your new position. How's that?"

"I guess it's alright for an excuse. Not the whole truth, but it isn't a lie. Thank you Amber," I responded after a short pause.

"No problem. And you might even get another shot at possibly doing a little flirting. Just a little!" she reassured, seeing my exasperated expression.

"Whatever. Just ask for me, okay?" I asked.

"Right away!" she answered, resuming her happy and pleasant nature.

As she dashed out of the door, her bracelets jingling down the hall and I leaned against the desk. I wasn't sure if Fabian would actually want to go to lunch with me there, but it was worth a shot. If my problem with him and his attitude wasn't solved, it might grow and involve more than just Fabian and me.

I just hoped that Amber could work her magic.


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, Fame is back again, and I've brought with me the next installment of this story. This one was written awhile ago, but I didn't want to post it until I had Chapter 4 typed up. I'm trying to stay one step ahead of the game so that my chapters are never rushed. What do you think? Anyways, here's the disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis, or Nina, or Fabian with his adorable self. Although he's a bit a of a party-pooper in these first few chapters, don't you think? Don't worry, I promise that he'll change his ways. Remember to leave an honest review at the bottom of the chapter. Read on, my lovely readers!**

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_We are the creators of our own destiny, with the power to improve it or destroy it._

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_**Chapter 3**_

"You've got to be kidding me."

It was 11:32 am precisely, and Amber had just arrived at my new office to pick me up for lunch. When she entered, she looked a little crestfallen, so I asked what happened. And she answered:

"He won't go. He says he got 'too much on his plate right now.' He's not going to having a plate at all if he doesn't come to lunch with us!"

I decided to ignore Amber's bad pun and only reply to the part that was worrying me. So that was where we were now.

"I'm surprised too. He's usually so easygoing, doesn't really care what people think about him. But maybe you cracked him, Nina."

"No, he probably still thinks I'll be trying to insult him every chance I get," I answered glumly, grabbing my purse from its position on the side of my desk and checking to make sure I had enough money to buy food.

"You wouldn't, would you?"

"No."

"Exactly! But since your first impression happened to be your worst impression, there's not too much I can do to change his view of you," Amber went on as I turned my computer off to save battery while I was gone.

"I just hope I'll eventually get a second chance. I don't want him hating me," I worried.

"Yeah. I would hate to fire him like I did Julissa and Ryan, since Mick would probably kill me," Amber commented, remembering an incident that had happened about six months ago.

Amber had really upset one of her staff members one day after telling her that she wasn't going to accept her design for a type of shoe. So, the girl began spreading lies about Amber all around her department, saying that she was cheating on Mick with a guy named Ryan Lonvas. The problem got so out of hand that Amber had to not only fire the girl, Julissa Nerwest, but also Ryan. She was sad to see the both of them go, but it was necessary to keep the peace.

"I mean, he is arrogant and full of himself, but you seem to get along with him really well, so that must mean there's more to him than meets the eye," I considered, walking out of the office with Amber and into the hall.

"The first time I really held a conversation with him, he tried to hit on me!" I laughed, thinking of what an awful couple they would make. While Amber was sweet and bubbly, Fabian seemed a little too nerdy and narcissistic for a girl like her.

"Of course, this was while Mick and I had that fight and I needed guy advice. He told me that maybe seeing another guy would help me sort out my feelings for Mick and whether I wanted to get together or not."

"You guys would be totally wrong for each other!" I giggled, still not over the fact that Fabian had tried to flirt with Amber.

"Well, I did think about it. But in the end, Mick would always be my first choice. Fabian didn't seem upset at all. He's quite the womanizer," Amber stated, coming to end of the hallway and pressing the down button for the elevator.

"That explains his demeanor towards me," I told myself mostly, but Amber nodded her head in response.

"He's not usually that pushy, but yeah, I would say he'll gain popularity with the ladies in your department soon enough. All of them are a little desperate, since Austin refuses to break up with Melissa, no matter how clingy she can get."

The elevator's ding interrupted me before I could reply and the two of us got in with another guy, who looked about two or three years older than us. Amber obviously knew him, because they began chatting right away, but I stayed quiet.

As much as I thought Fabian was cute, the news that he was considered by Amber to be a womanizer was a little bit of a dampener. I guess I didn't really expect much else from his actions when I first met him, but I thought that maybe he was acting that way because of my attitude. In all honesty, he probably was, but the reverse psychology he was using had been settling in. The fact that he at first wanted to be friendly, then tried to push me away was starting to make me want to get to know him. But I couldn't see myself as "another one of his girls." If he wanted to move around and break girls' hearts, he could do whatever he wished. But I wasn't going to let him ruin me, leave me in tears, and move on to someone else within the week.

"Nina, come on. I don't think it'll be fun hanging out in the elevator during lunchtime," Amber's voice pulled my head from the clouds and back into the elevator, with its door open to the lobby.

"Sorry, just lost in thought," I apologized, exiting quickly. My white heels that I had so meticulously picked out this morning clicked against the polished floor and out onto the concrete.

"Where to?" Amber inquired, slipping on a pair of dark sunglasses to protect her eyes. I did likewise, thinking about what I wanted to eat.

"I heard Blue Vine has these new salads that are under 300 calories and I know you like to watch your weight, Amber," I suggested.

"That Italian place, Retina's, just opened up across the street. Want to check it out? I'm in the mood for pasta!" Amber countered with a delicious second option, which I happily agreed to.

"Sounds like a plan. To Retina's we go!" I shouted, linking arms with my best friend and heading in the direction of the "Grand Opening!" banner swaying in the slight breeze.

* * *

After crossing the busy street and walking two blocks in high heels, we made it to the restaurant. It was styled like an Italian cottage, with leaves growing around an arched doorway. When we entered the building, an older man with cheery face was there to greet us.

"Table for two?" he asked, reaching for a pair of menus.

"Yes, please," Amber promptly answered as the waiter gestured for us to follow him to a table.

"This place is absolutely adorable!" Amber squealed softly as we sat down at a wooden table with a clean white tablecloth draped over the polished top and two carved chairs.

"Thank you," I said to the waiter, whose name tag read "George."

"You're welcome. Would you like to order a drink right now or should I give you a minute?" he inquired.

"An iced tea for me," I politely requested.

"Sweetened or unsweetened?"

"Unsweetened please."

"I'll have the same, sir," Amber piped up.

"Of course. They'll be out in just a moment," he responded, walking away and into the back kitchen.

"He seems nice," I commented, opening up my menu that George had given me. As I rad through all the names of the dishes, my stomach began to growl and my head was spinning slightly.

Amber opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, a cluster of rather loud customers entered through the front door. I turned to see who it was, curious as to why there was so much noise, and sure enough, it was a group of people from my department, as well as a few others. Melissa, Austin, a girl named Morgan, someone I remember Amber introducing as Harry, and a few others that couldn't fit in the small foyer. A much younger woman was handling the seating this time.

"Um, table for…eight?" Morgan, a girl who often set up interviews for Amber and was always nice, asked, hoping that the small place could accommodate that many rambunctious people.

"Right this way," the waiter replied, grabbing a few menus that would probably be passed around and leading them to a larger table.

"Melissa! Morgan! Come sit with us!" Amber yelled, jumping up and going over to speak to the woman who had greeted all my co-workers. After a moment, she nodded and began to push smaller tables together to form what I was assuming would be a table for ten. I groaned inwardly, knowing that this was going to be a much wilder lunchtime than I had anticipated. Looking around, I saw the rest of the group. Joy Mercer, a co-worker, Kelly Ray, a girl from designing, a man I didn't recognize, and…

Fabian Rutter, the man who refused to eat lunch with Amber and me.

_ Maybe he won't see me. Maybe I'll just sit at the opposite side of the table and disguise myself. Maybe-_

"Nina! Come on over and sit with us!" Joy called from over by the table.

Thanks a bunch.

Joy was a bit louder than most of the people I worked with, always throwing parties at her house and at work. She was sweet, like all the girls I worked with, but she was more boy-crazy than I could usually handle. We weren't super close, but I always got invited to her birthday party and was often asked to come with her and few girlfriends to various places. I considered her a friend, but right now I wasn't really in the mood to socialize.

Once I made my way over to a seat in between Amber and her, she turned her body to face me.

"So, Nina, this is Fabian. Fabian, this is Nina," she introduced us, gesturing to the guy across the table from me that I had just pissed off about two and half hours ago.

"We've met before, actually," Fabian interjected before Joy could begin another sentence, his voice a little emotionless.

"Oh, where? Wait, of course, you're our new boss! You met him before I did! Well, you know that he started today already, and we've got our work spaces right next to each other," she rambled, still smiling the entire time.

"That's great," I told her, although I really wasn't trying to act happy either.

"What's the matter with you two? You're acting all upset all of sudden," Joy questioned, playing the role of the observant one.

"We got off to a bad start," I answered quickly to make sure Fabian didn't worsen the situation.

"That's a shame. You're both so nice. What happened?" she whispered the last question in my ear.

"It was nothing, really. I'm not used to my job yet and we had a little misunderstanding," I spoke softly back, not wanting to fuel the fire. I knew, though, that by the time lunch was over, everyone at the table would probably know. Joy couldn't keep her mouth shut.

"Hope you two get that worked out," she wished me luck in a low voice, then straightened up again and resumed her normal voice. "Now, does anyone have a menu I can borrow?"

"I do!" a voice I didn't bother to identify answered, and I leaned over to look at Amber's open menu.

"What are you getting?" I asked. Being my forgetful self, I had left my menu at the table I was originally sitting at and needed to look over Amber's shoulder to make my final selection.

"I think I'm going to get the three cheese raviolis. They sound delicious," she responded, handing her menu to me so I could get a better look.

"Mmm, the crabmeat pasta dish is making my stomach growl. I think I'll get that," I stated after moment. She nodded, then turned her head to start a conversation with Austin, who was on her other side. I was left to my own thoughts for a while, since Joy was talking to Fabian.

"Looks like there's no table for two anymore," a voice startled me from behind, setting down an ice cold tea in front of me.

"Oh, yeah. These are a few of my friends from work. We just happened to choose the same restaurant today," I explained to the waiter, George.

"Ah. Do you know what you want?" he asked, pulling out a small pad and pencil.

"Is the crabmeat pasta a good choice?" I answered with another question.

"A delicious choice," he assured me, smiling again.

"Then that's what I'll get," I stated, handing the menu to him.

"Wonderful. Do you know what you want, miss?" he inquired to Joy, who was across the table from me.

I stopped tuning in to George and Joy and focused more on the people around me. Melissa had jumped into Amber and Austin's conversation, while Morgan and the man I didn't know were arguing over something political. Kelly had begun to ask Fabian her own questions, while Harry was typing something on his phone.

"So, Harry, where do you work?" I sparked a conversation with him, causing him to look up from the lighted screen and turn it off.

"Well, I'm in Amber's advertising department. You know, promoting her work and organizing all the information as to different locations and how that affects the type of advertisement I should use. It's actually quite interesting. You?"

"I was just promoted to the Chief Editor of the writing department. I've still got a few things to sort out, but it's going nicely so far," I said, hoping that I didn't sound like I was bragging.

I heard Fabian snort from across the table.

"Do you have something to say?" Harry twisted in his seat to speak to him.

"If you call being extremely rude to your new employee on the first day, then yeah, I'd say it's going nicely," he interrupted.

"I was not rude to you," I countered calmly.

"You're right, rude is a pretty harsh word. You were…uneasy on your first day," he corrected himself, then continued talking to Kelly, who was dreamily smiling a little at Fabian.

"I guess you could say that," I grumbled, choosing to ignore the anger that was building up inside of me.

"Well, I'm sure you'll do just fine. Everyone's a little uneasy when they get promoted, so you shouldn't worry," Harry reassured me. Our conversation was cut short because George was now taking Harry's order.

Fabian and I needed to fix whatever animosity was between us soon or the situation could get ugly.


End file.
